Pakistan: Protests in Parachinar enter sixth day amid ongoing road blockages in Kurram district

Dera Ismail Khan [Pakistan], December 27 (ANI): Protests against the road closures in Kurram district are growing, with the sit-in at Parachinar now entered in its sixth day. Road blockages across the tribal district are still ongoing.
In Parachinar, the sit-in on the main Kachehri Road, located in front of the Press Club, has now entered its sixth day. Parachinar Tehsil Chairman Agha Mazmal emphasised that the tribal headquarters is effectively under siege.
"We are unable to travel to either Pakistan or Afghanistan. People are stuck here, and it seems no one understands the severe hardships millions are facing at this moment," he remarked.
"It has been nearly 78 days since the recent rise in tensions, and Parachinar remains isolated from the rest of the country. Anyone who tries to travel out of necessity is killed. We haven't even been able to bury two of our own who died while attempting to travel in protest," he said.
According to the report, Agha Mazmal stressed that their protest would persist until the issue is resolved. "A large jirga from the government has arrived, and discussions are underway. We are demanding that the roads be reopened and secured for travel, no matter the circumstances."
He cautioned that if the roads to Parachinar are not reopened, they would not stay silent, and the protests could spread nationwide. He added that they had informed the government that if the roads are not reopened within the next 72 hours, they would block highways, motorways, airports, and train tracks across the country.
During the recent cabinet meeting, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government declared a relief emergency in the Kurram district due to the ongoing law and order issues. The provincial cabinet reviewed the security situation and the overall conditions in Kurram.
Official sources confirmed that the cabinet has approved the declaration of a relief emergency in the Kurram district. Relief payments for those killed or injured in Kurram have already been processed. The road closures in the region have caused severe shortages of essential goods, including food, medicine, fuel, and LPG, with supplies completely depleted.
Due to the fuel shortage, all public and private schools in Upper Kurram have been closed. ATMs are out of cash, further exacerbating the difficulties for residents. Hotels, bakeries, and vegetable and fruit shops have also been forced to shut down.
Border officials have reported that no movement is taking place at the Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border. Hospitals are struggling with critical medicine shortages, resulting in the deaths of many patients, including over 50 children. (ANI)